Dragonfly
by Amira Elizabeth
Summary: We all have a past whether we know of it or not. Things are hidden from us. Secrets locked away until fate deems us ready to discover them. This is the story of one young boy's past and how the road to becoming the Avatar was rocky long before the War.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I have always thought since seeing the episode "The Storm" that Aang's past hid far more than he revealed and far more than he was actually aware of and I have always thought it could have something to do with his parents/family and who they were. This story is just an expression of that thought and my own ideas as to what happened.

The title will make sense as the story goes on. You'll see.

Just a warning...I tend to write very short chapters.

I don't own Avatar. I don't own its characters. The other characters featured in this story are my own creations.

Chapter 1

The rain had been falling for several days, not like tears but like a torrent of water had been let loose from a dam. The townspeople said it was the worst rainstorm in years. That comment was followed with the occasional reference to the death of Avatar Roku just the year before and the strange weather occurrences that had happened since the Avatar's passing.

But there was one person, with eyes the color of the storm clouds above, who was not thinking of the Avatar's death.

Liyan rushed through the streets of the small Earth Kingdom town of Seisho trying desperately to find shelter from the rain. The squirming bundle in her arms let out a wail of protest as rain soaked the blanket and the little body inside. She briefly looked down at the baby in her arms, her heart aching as the child shivered.

She smiled as she discovered a small covered porch in a nearby alley. Even if she couldn't stay there, at least she and the child could stay dry for a few minutes. Liyan settled herself into one of the corners of the porch, making sure to stay as inconspicuous a possible. The baby wailed again, once again expressing discomfort.

The young mother pulled the wet blanket off of her child and draped it over the bamboo arm a nearby chair. "Hush now, my angel." She loosened her once elegant kimono and held the baby close to her body. There was not much milk for the child and her heart weighed heavily with the knowledge that her baby would continue to be hungry. Liyan sighed and looked out from her hiding place at the rain that continued to fall. Something had to be done. She was running out of money, out of energy, and out of hope.

Liyan caressed her baby's still plump cheek and smiled. This child, this little boy, was her only reason for continuing to fight and to hope. She had to if for no other reason than for him. In her short seventeen years, he had been the greatest gift ever bestowed upon her and the only thing that had made the suffering she had endured over the past two years worthwhile.

The young woman had never been lucky. She had been born beautiful. She had been born to a relatively privileged Air Nomad family. And some would have considered that a lucky beginning to life. But the kind of luck that made one successful in life was something that she had never been blessed with. At least not until the baby. Her grandmother had commented when Liyan was three years old that the little girl's life would end in sadness. It was the curse of being unlucky.

And unlucky she was. Her elder brother, Luta, was a high ranking monk at the Northern Air Temple. Her younger sister, Maiko, was already an accomplished air bender and a favorite at the Eastern Air Temple. Liyan, the middle child, was none of those things.

In a world where elemental bending skills were prized, where people were praised and exalted for being great fighters and warriors, where being able to take care of oneself was a necessity, she was at a disadvantage. She was not a fighter and her siblings had teased her as being far too girly for the Air Nomad lifestyle. She was not a bender and people had often looked at her with pity and disappointment. She would not help in carrying on the family tradition of strong and revered Air Benders.

She was ordinary. Except for her beauty, which for other people would have been considered a blessing, she however considered it a curse. Her looks had caught the attention of a visiting nomad and her father, thinking his daughter who without bending abilities would be a burden on the family forever, agreed to allow the nomad to take Liyan as his concubine. Her mother had told her it was a good prospect and as their family fortunes had been dwindling of late, it might be her last chance to at least be cared for by a wealthy man. He had several fine tents, he had many flying bison, and would be able to provide for her and any future children.

Her mother had told her: "He seems like a kind man who will treat you well."

Liyan choked back a laugh at the memory of her mother's words. The world held onto a myth that all Air Nomads were gentle, spiritual and kind. And that myth couldn't be further from the truth. Liyan's master, Gin Li, had been cruel and violent. He had provided her with a lovely home and lovely kimono to wear, but the price she paid for such luxury was beatings and worse. In fact her beloved child had been conceived during such violence.

Violence that had been present even on the day of the child's birth. The labor had been long and difficult; Gin Li continuously yelling at her and the midwives for making too much noise and getting in his way. Liyan had tried to block out his abusive remarks about what he would do if she gave him a useless girl-child. A bastard was bad enough, but a girl would be even worse. At least in Gin Li's mind. In Liyan's mind, boy or girl, it didn't matter. But as soon as the midwives placed her son in her arms, Liyan knew that this child was what she had always wanted. Ten fingers, ten toes, and a round little face that she fell instantly in love with.

Gin Li had muttered his approval of the child and for a few days, there was finally peace in the tents. But the peace did not last long and he was once again cruel and threatening. He verbally and phyically attacked her once more and the young woman tried desperately not to let despair take over. She would hold her new son and sing to him after enduring Gin Li's cruelty, the baby's sweet newborn smell comforting and his presence reassuring that life was in fact worth living.

She had always been afraid to leave Gin Li, afraid he would kill her, but his threats against their child finally pushed her into action. Three months after the birth of her son and with nothing more than a blanket and an extra change of clothes for the baby, she ran. Liyan knew Gin Li would pursue her, but she had to try to save herself and her child. She had considered the baby's birth a sign that her luck was changing and she hoped the good fortune of being blessed with such a dear child would continue.

"Hopefully you and I will have a better life, my precious. Hopefully we can just start over." She smiled and hugged the baby tight against her. He whimpered pitifully and shivered. Liyan looked down at her infant son and frowned. "I know. I know. It's cold and wet. We need to find better shelter."

Liyan pushed a wet lock of her dark hair from her face and touched the pale blue silk of her kimono. If the garment had been in better condition, she could have sold it. But the tears in the fabric and the hem around the bottom now coming undone rendered it worthless. The girl had sold the two gold and pearl combs that had once held in place her elaborate hairstyle and the money from that sale had not lasted long. She feared she didn't have even enough to last the next twenty-four hours. Liyan fingered the dragonfly pendant hanging on a chain around her neck. It was her last valuable material possession. Not because it was expensive, but because it was the last thing she had been given by her family before leaving with Gin Li. She hated to part with it, but she would for her son's sake.

The young woman counted the coins in the coin purse hidden underneath the folds of her kimono, smiling with relief. Just enough for a night at an inn and maybe dinner. She didn't want to spend all the money at once, but the child's sneezing told her she really didn't have much of a choice. She wrapped the baby back up into the blanket, pulled her kimono together, and stood. She looked out at the street cautiously before leaving the porch in search for a warm place to sleep and a warm meal for her grumbling stomach.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Aang

* * *

**_And with a great sigh and a broken heart, the boy endured the laughter of the animals of the forest. He was no bird. He could not fly. He left the safety of his forest home and headed to a nearby lake, fully prepared to end his life under the cool blue surface. If he could not fly, he would not live. The child sat at the edge of the lake and wept._**

'_**What is the matter, my friend?'**_

_**The boy looked up and saw a large dragonfly with shimmering wings. He explained the story to the dragonfly and the insect smiled. **_

'_**Do not worry.' The dragonfly said. 'I can make your dream of flight come true and you will be able to soar with the birds.'**_

_**The dragonfly took the boy to a place where shimmering wings littered the ground. 'We dragonflies shed our wings and grow new ones.' The insect explained. 'Now we will give you wings.'**_

_**And so the two new friends constructed a glider from twigs and discarded wings and when it was done they went to top of the tallest hill. The dragonfly, using his great wings, created strong currents of wind and the child was lifted off of the ground. **_

_**Finally, he was flying! He was flying! He let out a whoop of sheer joy as the Spirit of the Air took hold of him and lifted him high into the clouds.**_

_**-Taken from a collection of airbender fables by Master Storyteller Hito**_

* * *

Mrs. Kayito had lived in Seisho all of her life and it always amazed her how in over eighty years, the town looked much the same as it did on the day she was born. She took the news of Avatar Roku's death with a note of boredom. The next Avatar was not going to be an earthbender, so what did it matter to old woman who would probably be dead before the chosen airbender baby would take his or her place as the Avatar. 

She quietly maintained her little inn, went about her business, and for the most part attempted to, albeit unsuccessfully, to stay away from benders and their lot in general. Right now her business was to stop the rain from turning her inn into a lake.

"Ima, take a bowl and put it by the window. I think I saw another leak." She said to the young woman standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Sure Auntie." Ima turned and went into the kitchen to retrieve one of the large mixing bowls. Mrs. Kayito shook her head and smiled. Her niece was fifteen, only one year away from marriageable age and she had so far shown more interest in running the inn then in finding a husband.

The door opened suddenly and the old woman turned. Her eyes widened as a water-soaked and weary young woman trudged in through the door. Her hair was tangled, her kimono was dirty and torn, and she was clutching an infant to her chest.

"Excuse me," She said softly, her eyes pleading for help. "Do you have a room?"

Mrs. Kayito's face softened. The girl was pathetic to look at and in addition to a roof over her head, she looked like she could use a good dose of kindness and a nice hot meal. The old woman took the girl by the arm and led her to the fireplace. She pointed a withered finger at a chair that was placed near the blazing warmth.

"Sit down, my dear, and get warm. You and that little one must be cold and hungry." The innkeeper smiled wryly. "And just a bit foolish to be traveling in this weather. Especially on foot."

Liyan managed a weak smile and she sank gratefully into the chair.

"Thank you." She said. Ima emerged from the kitchen carrying not only the asked for bowl, but a small loaf of bread and a bowl of warm broth for the hungry young mother. Liyan smiled at the teenager in gratitude.

The young woman took a sip of the broth. "I'm Liyan." She said, feeling the need to introduce herself. She unwound the wet blanket from around the baby and lifted him into the air to let him feel the warm air radiating from the fire. The baby's pale green clothes which had tiny birds and fish embroidered on them, were soaked as well and within moments, Liyan had him undressed down to his diaper and she held the baby once more into the air. The infant sneezed and Mrs. Kayito laughed warmly.

"Oh what a little precious. You are most lucky to be blessed with such a fine baby boy."

Liyan beamed at the elderly woman, obviously proud of her son.

"What is his name?"

Liyan panicked. She had not thought of a new name for him. The name given to him at birth would never do and besides "Gin Loh" was nothing but a reminder of the horrible man she was escaping from. Her mind raced and suddenly she thought of a story her grandmother used to tell her as a child. It was the story of a boy who thought he was a bird and that he could fly. It had been one of her favorites. She smiled as she recalled the boy's name.

"Aang. His name is Aang."

"A fine name for such a fine child."

Liyan hugged the newly named Aang to her and he laughed. The young woman joined in her son's laughter and kissed the tip of his nose lightly. The baby's laughter turned into a sneeze and Liyan felt the world suddenly tilt backwards, her feet no longer touched the ground, and she landed on her back with a painful thud. The baby screamed.

"Wha…what happened?" She asked, dazed from the fall.

The old innkeeper was helping her up. "That child has airbender in him."

"What!" Liyan looked at the woman incredulously. "No. He's not. He can't be."

"Honey, I've had many people come through those doors. Even a few airbenders. I know a bender when I see one." Mrs. Kayito said.

The young woman stared down at little Aang, who had recovered from the shock of taking a tumble to the floor and was now smiling, resting safely in her arms.

'_My son? An airbender?'_

Liyan had honestly never considered that her child could ever be an airbender. Never in a million years would she have imagined that the Spirits would have granted her not only the blessing of such a wonderful son, but the additional blessing of having that son be an airbender.

She kissed the child's cheek. Her heart was racing and she knew what she had to do. She had to get herself and Aang to Luta. Her brother would know what to do about all of this. Maybe her child could join Luta and the other monks in the temple and Liyan could be finally assured that her son was safe.

"My son is an airbender." She whispered, smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A New Friend

_**What is strength? To any warrior, strength means fighting and killing as many of your enemies as possible. Doing what ever is necessary to bring honor to you, your family, your people. Running away would be viewed as weakness. But is running away to protect those you love a true weakness? Does giving up what you love the most take more strength and courage than facing an army of enemies?**_

* * *

Liyan woke to the sound of the baby crying and she immediately jumped out of bed. She was panicking, fearing Gin Li had finally caught up to her and was taking her son. The girl looked around the little room and her pulse and breathing slowed and relief set in. She was still safe in Mrs. Kayito's inn and little Aang was still lying safely in the crib the innkeeper's daughter had donated.

The young mother picked up her crying child and hugged him close.

"Hush, little one. I'll bet you're hungry." Liyan settled back into her bed and unlaced the neck of the thin shift she was wearing, another donation from Mrs. Kayito's daughter. She held her son to her breast and settled back against the pillows.

The day was looking to be beautiful and sunny. The young mother knew that she would have to leave Seisho and Mrs. Kayito's inn very soon. She had to get to her brother at the Northern Air Temple, there she and Aang would be safe. Especially now since Liyan was aware of the child's airbending abilities. She had no doubt that if Gin Li knew of the baby's bending talent, he would exploit and use the child to further his own interests.

She did not know how far Seisho was from the Northern Air Temple. She knew that she was in one of the Earth Kingdom's northern provinces and she hoped with a little luck and a little bit of asking, she would be able to secure a ride on a flying bison. The young woman hoped that maybe by telling some traveling monk that she was Luta's sister and that she was taking her child to the temple, he would give her a ride.

Liyan felt the baby sigh contentedly in her arms and she gently shifted him to her shoulder and patted his back. She inhaled her child's sweet baby smell and smiled. She still couldn't believe that he was showing bending talent.

The girl lifted her son into the air and laughed softly. "Oh my little Aang, we're going to be okay. And you will become a great airbender. I know it."

She kissed the tip of Aang's nose and snuggled into the blankets.

* * *

Gin Li was not accustomed to having people disobey him. He was not accustomed to being disrespected. He was not accustomed to having the women in his life commit mutiny and flee. He kept his household in tight, controlled order where he was king and all those around him were his subjects, bound to his laws and if necessary, to his punishments. 

Liyan fleeing with his son had hit Gin Li right where it hurt, his pride and his ability to control. He would not tolerate it. He did not tolerate it, not from his wife and certainly not from the girl who was supposed to only provide him with nighttime entertainment and be a distraction from his now aging wife.

Now here he was, far from home and sitting in what barely amounted to a tavern, with nothing so far to show for ten days of searching. It wasn't so much Liyan he wanted as the boy. His son. Granted the boy was a bastard, but he was Gin Li's only child. The mother was dispensable. The boy was not.

"There has been no sighting of her or the child?" He demanded.

The terrified messenger looked at his master's face, rage etched on every feature, and nervously nodded in confirmation.

Gin Li slammed his cup down on the table. A greenish liquid sloshed out over the top and made small puddles on the table.

"Bitch!" He hissed. "Who would have thought that one stupid girl and a brat would be so hard to find. I've got some of the best bounty hunters looking for them and still nothing. This is getting ridiculous. I want them found. I don't care what it takes."

Gin Li tossed a few coins on the table, taking note of the wench behind the counter and her smoldering gaze as he did so. The nomad smiled. He knew that despite being well into middle age, his still dark hair and beard gave him a look that most women found irresistible. Maybe if he hadn't been caught up in more pressing matters he would have indulged in the barmaid's offer. He certainly could've used the release. Liyan's pregnancy, the birth of the child, and his repugnance for his wife all had added to months of taking female companionship where he could find it.

He exited the building and untied the ostrich-horse which was now serving as his mode of transportation. Flying bison were the best means of travel, but an air search would not find Liyan. The nomad knew that and he had reluctantly purchased the ostrich-horse from an earth kingdom merchant. Gin Li hated the beasts, they were rather foul-smelling to his unaccustomed nose and temperamental. He mounted the animal and headed away from the tavern.

He would find his concubine and child and that stupid girl would pay for her disobedience and the inconvenience she caused him.

* * *

Liyan was getting desperate. It had been almost a week since she had first arrived in Seisho and Mrs. Kayito's inn. No sign of any bison or monks or any air nomads. No one that could take her to the temple. She was starting to get anxious and despite Mrs. Kayito's kind offering to let her stay as long as she needed, the girl knew she was going to have to move on. 

The innkeeper had been kind to her, letting her and the baby stay in exchange for some extra help around the inn. Ima had taken an immediate liking to the baby and to Mrs. Kayito's delight, was now talking about having kids of her own.

The young mother and Ima were playing on the floor with little Aang, trying to see if he would sit up on his own when the inn's front door opened and an older man entered. Liyan looked up and her mouth dropped open. Finally her prayers had been answered. The man was dressed in flowing orange robes and a necklace consisting of wooden beads was draped around his neck. His blue airbender tattoos were bright against his pale skin. His face was kind, a graying moustache was the only hair on his head, and he focused his gaze on Liyan and the baby. The man smiled.

"Monk Gyatso!" Mrs. Kayito said, welcoming the the visitor. "It is an honor to see you again."

The monk bowed slightly and smiled warmly at the elderly innkeeper. "Likewise. It seems, my friend, that you have added some new members to your household since I last visited.

"Oh no. Liyan and her son are guests in the inn. They've been with me for about a week now."

The airbender bowed slightly to Liyan and leaned down to pat little Aang on the top of his head. The baby immediately smiled.

"I have a way with children." The monk laughed.

Liyan watched as the man settled himself into a chair and accept a cup of warm tea from Ima. "I couldn't pass by Seisho without stopping for some of your delicious vegetable dumplings, Mrs. Kayito."

The innkeeper kept some of the little dumplings on hand and she brought out a steaming plate of the tiny filled pastries and the airbender bit into one and smiled.

"Simply delicious."

The young mother bit her lip nervously. She wanted to tell him about Aang. She wanted to tell him about Gin Li. She wanted to ask him to take her to Luta. She didn't know why, but she felt immediately that she could trust him. That this monk named Gyatso would be the one to help her and her son. Aang had immediately taken a liking to the man, who was now holding the baby and allowing the boy to pull on his moustache.

She stood from her position on the floor and took a deep breath. "Monk Gyatso, I need to speak with you. It's important."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: You may notice that scenes from the show will start playing into this tale. Believe me, it will all make sense. I thank the wonderful people of AvatarSpirit for having the transcripts to "The Northern Air Temple."

**Chapter 4**

**The Northern Air Temple**

_Aang clutched Appa's reins tightly in his hands, barely able to contain his excitement. With every cloud that passed, his smile grew wider and his heart raced faster. He would see airbenders again. He wasn't the last. _

"_Hey, we're almost at the Northern Air Temple! This is where they had the championships for sky bison polo." He called back to Sokka and Katara, who were engaged in a heated argument about lying and optimism._

_Aang pointed to the mountain looming before them. "Hey guys! Look at this!"_

_The temple suddenly appeared through the clouds, its tall towers and green roofs stretching into the sky. The castle-like structure, nearly identical to the southern temple was perched almost perilously on the top of the mountain, and yet it appeared strong and stable. Gliders soared all around it. Aang leaned forward, grinning from ear to ear._

_But something was wrong. He could tell immediately from the way the gliders were moving. The young Avatar's smile faded and his expression became almost pained._

"_Hey! They really are airbenders!" Katara's excited voice came from behind him._

Aang leaned back against Appa dejectedly, his arms folded across his chest. Sadness etched on his face. "No, they're not."

* * *

Monk Gyatso regarded the young woman kneeling before him with interest. Not because she was young and rather pretty, his age and years of living without such thoughts about women had rendered those things immaterial in his mind. He was interested because of the tone of urgency in her voice and the obvious reverence she was showing him. 

They were alone in the dining area together. Mrs. Kayito and Ima had offered to take little Aang for a walk so he could enjoy the sunshine and Liyan had readily accepted their offer, knowing that she'd be able to talk to the airbender with more ease if she wasn't worried about the baby.

"You are from an air nomad family?"

The girl nodded. The respect she was showing him made sense now. Only those of the air nation would kneel before a monk. The elderly man motioned for her to sit in the chair across from him at the table.

"Tell me, child, why do you wish to speak with me?"

"Sir, my brother Luta is a monk in the Northen Air temple. I need to see him. I…I…" The tears began flowing and the stress of her plight was now taking a hold of her. "I escaped from a vicious man who beat me and…and…well I won't go into the details. But I need Luta to help me. I need protection."

Gyatso looked at her with sympathy. "I wish that I could. But you know that women are forbidden in the Northern and Southern Air temples."

Liyan nodded. She had been expecting that answer. "But there is more. My son Aang is a bender. I need to get him the temple, to Luta. He'll be safe. He could be trained. Trust me, if the man I escaped from knew that his son had bending talent…I can't even think about that."

The monk stared thoughtfully at her for a moment. She said the boy was a bender. But surely she was mistaken. No child with talent showed any skills until around two to three years of age.

"How can you be sure he is an airbender?"

"I've seen him air lift himself out of his crib and he's shot up into the air when he's sneezed. Mrs. Kayito says that it's a sign he's a bender. Please you have to take us to Luta. I can't get there without you and I worried that the man I've been running from will catch up to me."

Gyatso sighed heavily at the description of the boy's powers. He had a feeling that this was the child the world was waiting for and that would mean his return to the southern temple would have to be postponed. The monk stood, smiling at the young mother.

"It appears the winds are taking me back to my brothers at the Northern Air Temple."

Liyan's face broke into a dazzling smile and she threw her arms around the older man, forgetting that he was a revered monk. Gyatso was startled for a moment, it had been a long time since he had seen and been the recipient of such a display of emotion.

* * *

"We have located her last whereabouts, sir." 

'_At last.'_ A calculating smile crossed over Gin Li's features. "Where is she?"

"Seisho. A bounty hunter named Siu confirmed it. She's at an inn there." The messenger said, handing Gin Li a piece of parchment. "It contains more information about her location."

The nomad folded the parchment and tucked it into his tunic. "Time to retrieve what is mine."

* * *

Liyan sat on the flying bison, the wind whipping through her hair. She missed the feeling of flying, earthbound travel just couldn't compare. The baby in her arms was squealing with delight, obviously not afraid of flight. Gyatso smiled at mother and son, glad to see that the boy seemed at home in the air even at his young age. 

The young mother pointed her index finger out at the clouds and hugged onto the baby tighter. "Look Aang! The temple! See, angel, you are going to meet your uncle soon."

The Northern Air Temple's elegant towers suddenly came into view, green painted roofs glistening in the sunlight. Liyan smiled. Never had she imagined the temple would be that magnificent. Like a palace in a children's story.

The bison glided down effortlessly onto the temple's landing area, all six feet touching softly to the ground. Liyan looked around, suddenly self-conscious. Gyatso patted her hand reassuringly and with little effort, helped her and the baby off of the bison.

Monks and initiates stared at her with a mix of curiosity and in the case of the older monks, what appeared to be annoyance.

"What is the meaning of this, Gyatso?" A tall monk with a pure white beard and orange robes similar to Gyatso's came rushing up to them. He looked angry. "You know the rules…"

"Yes." The monk said. "If you will gather the council and Monk Luta, Giyon, I will be happy to explain everything."

Monk Giyon threw an irritated look at the young woman and marched back into the temple. Gyatso led the Liyan and her son in through the temple's main doorway to a large main room. Murals depicting monks were painted all over the walls and soft rugs covered the stone floor. Five small platforms were at one end of the large council room and sunlight streamed in through the large windows. Fountains shaped like the graceful lotus flower softly trickled water, a sound that was usually soothing to Liyan. But instead the girl paced the room nervously, holding little Aang tightly against her.

"Liyan?"

The young mother turned and she smiled. "Luta!"


End file.
